The Top 10 Secrets of All Nurses

The Top 10 Secrets of All NursesEverybody job has secrets, but the club of nursing is one with a shared language and camaraderie mora intense than most professions. Here are 10 things nurses never tell their patients. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1472832388529-0) ) 1. Theyre poopedTheir feet are aching. Theyve been on rotating shifts with high stress and very little sleep. They probably havent had a regular sleep routine since adolescence. And they never seem to go home No matter how tired you are, a nurse is probably more fatigued.2. Handing out pills is notlagelage so simpleBy the time your morning meds get to your bedside, you may think its just a matter of downing the contents of that little plastic cup. But the nurse who prepared them also prepared meds for dozens of other patients. And for each one, had to double-check the name and purpose of each drug, plus any contraindications and special dosages, and then acquire each drug (sometimes from the pharmacy, sometimes requiring calls to your physician). So be patient and grateful next time you chug those pills.3. They dont just blindly follow rulesSometimes a nurse, because of experience and expertise, might bend a directive ever-so-slightly if he or she is sure it isnt in your best interest. Remember, nurses spend a whole lot more time with patients than doctors typically do. And theyve seen everything before.4. They get sickThough theyll never show it, they spend all of their time around your germs and are just as susceptible, if not more so, given their schedules No nurse will put a patient in danger when contagious, but plenty of nurses do their jobs when they arent feeling 100%. Theyll care for you even when they neglect themselves5. They have families who need them, tooYour nurse could have a sick kid at home or a sick family member in the hospital the next town over. Theyll give you 100% because its their job to care for you, even when they go home and care for someone elseand probably wish they could be doing that full time instead.6. They see you as a personYoure not just a case file to a nurse. Often you might remind them so much of someone in their livesa parent, child, or friend. Even if you or your case dont perfectly resemble their favorite uncle Joe, theyll often be struck by some personal connection or will identify with some aspect of you or your treatment.7. They fight for youYoull never know it, because it isnt very nurse-like to boast of such things, but nurses are constantly going to bat for their patients. If they disagree with a doctor or they want to make you more comfortable, theyll do everything they can to set things right.8. They dont want to lose youWhen things go scary and the crash cart rolls out, nurses are terrified. They may not show itin fact, they operate like elite officers to move efficiently and perfectly through the life-saving steps theyve been trained to take. But inside, theyre panicking, and utterly relieved wh en you pull through. Nurses never want to lose a patient. Never.9. They take their work homeEver heard a nurse promise to pray for you or your loved one? Thats not an empty threat. When theyre home and off the clock, chances are they think of you from time to time and wonder how youre doing. If theyre worried enough, theyll probably call a colleague to inquire.10. They very likely have had a rough dayIf your nurse seems distracted, its not that he or she doesnt know whats going on with you or that youre getting sub-par care. Nurses deal with many, many patients at a timeand due to the nature of the job, many of those patients are very sick. Your nurse might have even lost a patient that day. Yes, nursing is their job, but theyre human, too, and helping sick people day in and day out can take its toll. Have empathy, and know your nurse is doing the best she/he can.About all other things, its safe to say, nurses are an open book.